Of Love and War
by Chibi Halo
Summary: Busan and Ojeong stood in the western region of the Earth Kingdom five miles from each other coexisting in peace. However, that changed the day the Fire Nation captured Ojeong.
1. Busan

Every war has a beginning, that one moment in time when those who choose war decide that the time is right to go to war. For some, they make that decision when opposing forces assassinate a leader or kidnap soldiers. The event becomes the springboard and the basis for an entire war. Only those who choose war know if the reason for war is true or not. For the Fire Nation the reason for war was not the death of a Fire Lord at the hands of one of the other nations nor was it the capture of soldiers or land. The reason for war for the Fire Nation was as simple as a lack of an Avatar in the world.

Sixty years ago, the world was peace. The four nations of the world were in perfect harmony with one another. That was until the death of the Avatar. When Avatar Roku of the Fire Nation died, the world waited for the day some seventeen to eighteen years later when the monks of the Air Nomads would announce the name of the new Avatar. The monks of the Air Nomads never made that announcement. Thirteen years after Avatar Roku died a young Airbender named Aang learned of his destiny to become the next Avatar. One stormy night not long after he was informed of this, Aang vanished taking with him not only the hopes of the world but also the only chance the other nations of the world had in defeating the Fire Nation.

Days soon became weeks and weeks became months. Some time after the Avatar vanished from the world two events took place. In the skies above the Fire Nation, a great comet appeared empowering the Firebenders of the world with a surge of power. On that same day, the current Fire Lord, Sozin, declared war upon the entire world. The first nation to feel the wrath of the Fire Nation was the peaceful Air Nomads. After the destruction of the Air Temples, the Fire Nation began to move against its greatest adversary, the Earth Kingdom.

One by one Earth Kingdom villages and city-states fell to the power of the Fire Nation. Some citizens of the Earth Kingdom accepted their fate and gladly welcomed the Fire Nation as their governing body. Others resisted the advancing Fire Nation powers and desperately tried to fight back. Try as they might these citizens of the Earth Kingdom could not hold back the Fire Nation and soon their attackers forced them to become citizens of the Fire Nation. The might and strength of the Fire Nation started to become too much for the people in the western region of the Earth Kingdom. As more villages fell, more and more citizens of the Earth Kingdom began openly accepting rule under their Fire Nation invaders.

There was, however, a single beacon of hope for the people of the western region of the Earth Kingdom. Try as they might the Fire Nation invaders could not make their way to the Earth Kingdom city of Omashu. Omashu and its king, Bumi, became a symbol of freedom for the people of the western region of the Fire Nation. Like Ba-Sing-Se in the east, Omashu was an immovable fortress sitting upon a mountaintop watching over the western region of the Earth Kingdom like a great protector. As long as Omashu stood, hope remained in the western region of the Earth Kingdom.

However, hope was only a feeling an emotion that people clung to in order to keep them going from day to day. Hope could not fight in the war. Hope could not hold back the Fire Nation. Hope could not keep the tiny village of Ojeong from becoming the next village overtaken by the forces of the Fire Nation. Ojeong and its neighboring village of Busan were just five miles apart and yet they were a world away. The people of Busan regularly did business with Ojeong trading goods and services. The two villages had a relationship that benefited them both greatly. Then one day everything changed.

It happened without warning. The unprotected village of Ojeong awoke to find themselves surrounded by a mass of soldiers, mongoose-lizards, and komodo-rhinos. The attack came without warning. The tiny village of Ojeong did all they could to protect themselves. However, the tiny homemade militia made up of ordinary villagers and Earthbenders that had very little combat training and experience could not hold the Fire Nation forces back. In a matter of days, the flag of the Earth Kingdom soon became a flag of the Fire Nation signaling Ojeong's capture.

The power in Ojeong changed as the Fire Lord ordered the removal of the village head and named a governor to rule over the village. He was a member of an elite group of generals known as the Fire Tigers. The Five Tigers were a group of generals of noble birth loyal to the royal family of the Fire Nation. Each general received reward for his prowess in battle with governorship over a conquered territory. Ojeong and the area surrounding it soon became the rule of the Third Tiger, General Sun Zhong.

Sun Zhong and the troops he oversaw quickly secured the village and all the people within its borders. Unlike other villages, the people of Ojeong did not welcome Fire Nation rule. At every turn they opposed the Sun family and the Fire Nation troops they commanded. Attempts to overthrow Sun Zhong and return power to the hands of village were in vain, as the army held back the poorly trained villagers. It seemed with each thwarted attempt more and more villagers were giving up the battle to return Ojeong to the Earth Kingdom. The fight was not over, however, for as long as the neighboring village of Busan stood free of Fire Nation rule Ojeong stood a chance. With the war beating down upon their doorstep, the lives of the people of Busan were going to change dramatically.

* * *

Of Love and War

Chapter One: Busan

* * *

Busan was a large village in the western region of the Earth Kingdom. While it was not large enough to be a city-state, Busan was larger than most villages in the Earth Kingdom. The entire village surrounded a hill that held a large estate upon the top. The estate with its pagoda styled buildings overlooked the center of the village and the large clusters of shops and homes that radiated out from its central location. Around the entire village was a wall of stone that protected it from the evils of the outside world. Try as it might though the wall could not keep everyone from coming to Busan.

Busan was a major stop between the western coast and the mountain city-state of Omashu. Every day people came to Busan to do trade and stay for the night in one of its inns. However, people came to Busan for more than just business or a stopping place during their journeys east. They came to Busan for its Earthbending academy. The academy in Busan was well known throughout the region for its teacher the Earthbending master Fa Xu. While people outside of Busan recognized the teacher and the academy, they were not given recognition within the walls of the village itself.

The head of the ruling family in Busan had a reputation for looking down upon anyone who was not in the same social standing as him. Shin Han believed the wealthy and the less fortunate should not interact with each other. He also believed benders of any kind were not worthy of his or his family's time and effort. It did not matter to him what class a bender was born into; if they could control one of the elements then they were not worthy of anyone's time in Shin's eyes. This view had become a major source of tension within the walls of the Han family estate.

Min Han was just nineteen but she radiated an intelligence and mentality of someone who was years older. Min had spent a good portion of her life living within the walls of the Han estate. Her father had brought in the finest nurses and tutors to care and educate his daughter giving her a life similar to that of a princess. Her mother, on the other hand, wanted her daughter to see that she was no better than those around her were. Iseul Han insisted upon teaching Min a lesson that she could only learn through life experience. On the day Min turned thirteen, Iseul took her daughter out into the heart of the village for the very first time in her life. Min began to see that there were others in the world that were not as fortunate as she was.

As Min began helping the less fortunate people of Busan, she saw exactly what the separation of the classes had done to them. The residents of the tenement lived in sub standard conditions in crowded houses with a single shared well pump to serve everyone who lived there. In certain cases, two or even three families huddled together in a single building trying to scrape together enough money to live from day to day. The bit of food and other supplies Min, her mother, and the wives of the merchants and artisans brought to them each day was a very welcome sight. However, Shin did not like the thought of his daughter commingling with the poorest residents of Busan.

"A young woman of her breeding and social standing in life should not be doing menial tasks such as delivering food to tenement people. She should be learning the things in life that will make her a proper bride and wife to a young man of nobility and wealth." Shin would state to his wife.

Iseul, afraid to speak against her husband's beliefs to him, would respond to Shin's dated thoughts by avoiding direct eye contact with him and quietly questioning his statements.

"What if she became unhappy living a life such as that? What kind of a person would she be?" Iseul would question Shin.

Shin, caring more for social standing and keeping his family line one of nobility and wealth, would then give Iseul the same response, "Then she will be taught to be happy living with a man of noble birth and great wealth."

Iseul did not want her daughter to go through the same life she had gone through. Min was being prepared for marriage to someone not of her own choosing. While Iseul was lucky that she found love with Shin Han, Min would not be as lucky. Min's strong will would clash with anyone her father chose for her to marry. If sent down that path Iseul saw heartache and emotional pain for her daughter. However, there was a ray of hope because Min's own heart led her to love when she was seventeen. Min had fallen for a young man who had a generous heart and a willingness to work wherever he was needed within the village.

Li Xun would have been an easy sell to Shin Han if he were an average citizen of Busan born to a shopkeeper and his wife. However, Xun was not an average citizen of Busan. Li Xun was an Earthbender and a student at the Busan Earthbending academy. To Shin Han Xun was not worthy of even stepping foot upon the grounds of the Han estate. Like the rest of the Earthbenders in Busan, Xun was considered lower than the tenement people were in Shin's eyes. To have Min in love, much less associate, with Xun was the worst thing she could do according to Shin.

Xun, however, worked harder than any other person Min knew. The twenty-one year old Earthbender not only attended the Earthbending academy but he also worked whatever odd job he could get his hands on. When he was not working around the village Xun helped deliver food and goods to the people of the tenement and worked at the academy for Master Fa Xu. Fa Xu gave Xun the chance to supplement what little coins he earned working in the village by cleaning at the Earthending academy. To some of the more well off students Xun was simply the broom boy. However, Xun did not care what the other students called him as long as he was able to become a better Earthbender at the hands of Fa Xu.

Min, unlike her mother, did stand for going along with anything her father said. Anytime Xun's name was mentioned by Shin in conversation, Min would openly stand up for her beliefs. Her relationship with the young Earthbender became a wedge in the relationship between father and daughter. As Shin continued to demand that Min learn the ways of a proper reserved bride only there to serve her husband, Min would spend more time away from the Han manor in the heart of Busan.

"You're throwing away your life and everything you ever learned by spending your time with that…that bender working on your mother's little hobby." Shin would yell at her.

"I'm not throwing away my life father. If anything mother, Xun, and I are doing more good within the village than you are. If it wasn't for mother, those people would starve because of your dated thinking." Min would argue back.

Never wanting to accept that his daughter may have been right about the consequences of his rulings Shin would make excuses for Min's actions and thoughts.

"That bender has poisoned your mind against my rulings and my position of authority within the village." Shin returned right back at his daughter.

"Xun has done no such thing. I've seen with my own eyes how your rule has affected the people of Busan and I vow to do something about it until you learn to open your eyes and see it for yourself." Min snapped back at her father.

The argument would then end with Min storming out of the room angry with her father. Shin would then be left wondering if his daughter had retreated to her room or if she had gone out into the village to spend time with the lower social classes. He would sigh and wonder why she refused to accept his position as her father and head of the village along with his wishes she learn to be a proper wife. Shin would never believe he had anything to do with the decline in their relationship as father and daughter and would always blame the people of the tenement and the Earthbender Xun. In the end, Shin would be left believing he was right and his daughter was wrong about everything and needed to be shown just how wrong she was. Nothing was going to change Shin's way of thinking, not even war.

* * *

It was a day like any other when their world changed. Min and Iseul were out in the tenement with the other women in the aid society Iseul oversaw delivering food. Shin, as always, was in the Han estate overseeing village affairs. Iseul and Min were having the same conversation they always had. Once again, Min was trying to figure out how she could get her father to see his way of thinking was wrong.

"Mother, why must father always be this way? What does he have against the people of this village?" Min wanted to know.

Iseul sighed and looked at her daughter. Ever since Min began coming with her to the tenement to help deliver food she began wearing her informal riding clothes more. The white tunic with its brown leather cuffs and the dark green pants looked nice on Min but her father did not approve of her wearing them every day. As Iseul continued looking over her daughter, she watched as Min fixed a button on the shoulder of her short dark green sleeveless overcoat with its high collar and golden yellow trim. The overcoat accented her maturing body nicely making Min look older than she was. Iseul had to admit that her child was growing up to become a fine young woman.

"Your father has nothing against the people of Busan, Min. He was raised to think differently about the different social classes in the village than you or I were raised. He cares about the village as a whole and would never do anything that would cause harm to it." Iseul finally replied as she placed a container of stew into a delivery crate.

Min could not see how her father stating over and over that the wealthy and elite of Busan society should only be seen with each other was caring for the entire village. The things her mother and the women she worked with did for people of Busan were true signs of caring for the entire village. Her father had chosen years ago to dismiss the aid society as his wife's silly little hobby never truly recognizing all the good it did for Busan.

"But mother father always demands I stay away from the Aid Society and from Xun. In fact, he doesn't even recognize all the work you and the other women do. How can you say he cares for the entire village if he doesn't want to associate with the majority of the people in it?" Min argued.

"He may not be out in village every day like you and I are but through his proclamations and decisions as village head he does what he can to keep Busan running well. It's his way of showing he cares." Iseul responded proving her dedication to her husband.

Min let out a heavy sigh and returned to her work in silence. It was obvious to her that her mother could not see how wrong her father's way of thinking was for the village. As long as Shin Han held to his dated beliefs, Busan would continue to remain separated by the classes and the tenement people, the farmers, the artisans and merchants, and the wealthy would not commingle. Iseul, however, was slowly changing those beliefs through her charity work.

As the last of the food was placed inside the delivery crate, Min put its fabric straps over her shoulders and walked out into the streets of Busan. The moment Min stepped outside the building the aid society used for their work a familiar face greeted her. Li Xun, delivery crate strapped upon his back, was also making deliveries for the aid society. Unlike Min's position in the society, Iseul paid Xun to deliver food. It was one of the many ways Xun earned money for his lessons at the academy.

"Xun, you're delivering today too?" Min questioned while smiling at Xun.

Xun could tell Min was happy to see him and responded with a smile and a few words of his own, "Just this one crate today. I have lessons at the academy with Taru later."

Taru, like Xun, was an Earthbender studying under Master Fa Xu at the Busan Earthbending academy. Unlike Xun, Taru believed in the importance of mastering each step in their lessons before moving on to the next maneuver. Xun often found himself on the receiving end of Taru's lectures about not skipping ahead in their lessons and rushing through things. Despite all the lectures and long-winded talk about doing things properly Taru and Xun were the closest of friends. People in the village often commented how they could be brothers with the way they always stuck up for one another and helped each other. Both young men would readily admit that they would not want to be friends with anyone else.

"Are you learning anything new today?" Min inquired engaging in small talk.

"Not anything new but Fa Xu wants us to perfect what we learned in our last lesson. I say I know it well enough and am ready to move on to the next one." Xun replied.

Min could tell Xun did not want to practice the last lesson he learned and would receive yet another lecture from Taru. Xun was a bit impatient and wanted to learn everything he could as fast as he could. Despite that, Min could find the good points in him. Xun was caring and a hard worker within the village and those were qualities Min loved the most about him. They were the same qualities that the women of the village liked about Xun. They would always comment about how he was a bit impatient but a good boy. Xun was well liked by the people in the village.

"Keep thinking like that Xun and Taru will end up giving you yet another lecture." Min teased with a bit of a giggle before she ran ahead of him.

"Oh yeah, you can't get away from me Min Han." Xun retorted as he gave chase.

Giggling and laughing Min ran down the streets of the tenement with Xun close behind. She was about to approach her first delivery destination when she saw it. Stopping in her tracks Min saw a large crowd of tenement dwellers standing around a notice board. Two men dressed in the uniform of the Earth Kingdom army stood near the board. One of the soldiers had a pack slung over his shoulder and held a wooden mallet within his hands. Inside the pack were several rolls of parchment. Behind the soldiers were two military issued ostrich-horses. Curiosity getting the better of her, Min walked over to the crowd to find out what the commotion was.

"Conscription? King Bumi of Omashu wants our sons to fight in the war?" Min heard a male resident question the soldiers.

"It isn't a mandatory call to conscription. However, word has reached Omashu that the Fire Nation army has captured the village of Ojeong. There is good pay for anyone who joins the Earth Kingdom army." One of the soldiers explained.

"We won't allow our sons to be hurt or killed in the name of some crazy king on top of a mountain." Another male declared.

For sixty years the people of Busan had done all they could to remain out of the war between the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation. With the capture of Ojeong, the war had come close to the doorstep of Busan. Now the people of Busan had a choice to make, stay isolated from the rest of the Earth Kingdom or join in the war and become a part of it.

As Min watched the scene unfold before her, she felt the familiar hand of Xun upon her shoulder. Turning her head to look at Xun, she could see he was interested in the opportunities that the military had to offer. Xun used every coin he earned to pay for his Earthbending lessons at the academy. The money offered by the military would pay for his lessons and have coins left over to help his family's shop. Xun smiled at Min as she placed her hand upon his.

"You're thinking of joining the military aren't you?" Min questioned.

"It's an option I'm considering. I haven't made up my mind about this yet. The coins the military pays has to be better than what I make doing all the odd jobs around the village." Xun responded.

Min pulled Xun's hand off her shoulder as she turned to face him. Looking into his eyes Min gave Xun an encouraging smile. Min loved Xun with all her heart and would do all she could to support any decision Xun made if she thought it was right for him.

"Xun whatever you decide you know I'll always support you no matter what." Min reminded him.

Min's show of support brought a smile to Xun's face. It brought joy to Xun's heart to know that Min would always be there for him with her love and support. Min had many qualities that drew Xun to her, but it was her supportive heart that he loved the most.

"We'd better deliver this food before it gets cold." Xun said returning to the original task.

Min smiled keeping Xun's hand within her own and urged him away from the scene before them with a light tug while responding to his reminder, "Come on Xun, we don't want these poor people to go hungry today."

The delivery that day was satisfying. Xun and Min completed their work and headed over to the Earthbending academy where Xun took his lessons. Although Xun said not a word to Min about the conscription call posted on the notice board in the tenement, she could tell the subject was still on his mind. All during their walk from the tenement to the academy Xun appeared distant and deep in thought while Min chatted about the goings on of the village. As they reached the academy, the young couple noticed Master Fa Xu and the other students of the academy standing around the notice board.

"Master Fa Xu what has everyone so interested in the academy's notice board?" Xun wondered.

Fa Xu, the head of the Earthbending academy, with his dark hair held into a small bun and wrinkles near his dark brown eyes turned to face Xun. Stroking his pencil thin long mustache and long goatee the master Earthbender replied to Xun's question, "Earlier this morning two soldiers posted a call to conscription from the king of Omashu. Ever since the students came to the academy for their lessons they began to discuss which of the young men were going to volunteer for the Earth Kingdom army from Omashu."

"Those two soldiers must have come to the academy before heading to the tenement to post the conscription call there." Min observed.

Xun let out a small sigh and looked towards the students gathered around the notice board. The war with the Fire Nation had to have taken a turn for the worse if conscription calls were being posted in every part of the village. The reactions of the students were very different from the reactions of the residents of the tenement. While the tenement people were angry that the war had reached their borders, the students of the academy were ready to put what they had learned to use against the Fire Nation.

"The war must be really bad if the king sent out conscription calls to every part of the village." Xun commented.


	2. Ojeong

Ojeong, tiny in comparison to Busan, was once free. The little village with its small central marketplace and tiny groupings of pagoda styled buildings sat just five miles away from its larger walled neighbor. Like many villages within the western region of the Earth Kingdom Ojeong fell victim to the might of the Fire Nation army. The Fire Nation unit that captured Ojeong removed the village head from power and locked him within the tiny prison in the bowels of what became the governor's manor. As the military strengthened its stronghold on the village of Ojeong the villagers began to abandon the one thing they once had, hope.

To the villagers of Ojeong hope had let them down. No one had come to rescue them when the Fire Nation army had invaded. In the eyes of the villagers, Omashu ignored the war and thus ignored Ojeong. King Bumi was not in the good graces of the people of Ojeong. They soon blamed the mountain king for allowing the Fire Nation to come into Ojeong and overthrow the village head. The new governor sent from the central city of the Fire Nation was ruthless and held an iron fist over the people of Ojeong. As one of the Five Tigers, General Sun Zhong was a man not to be trifled with.

However, as much as the people of Ojeong resisted the rule of the Fire Nation, Sun Zhong gave them every opportunity to accept their fate by treating them well. The philosophy of the Five Tigers stated that with time the captured villages and city-states would come to accept their fate and accept life as part of the Fire Nation. With a firm hand and fair treatment, the people of the Earth Kingdom would soon pledge allegiance to the Fire Nation. It had worked well in the four territories captured by the other members of the Five Tigers and given time it would work for Sun Zhong, the Golden Tiger, the third of the Five Tigers.

The Five Tigers were an elite group of generals within the Fire Nation Army. Each member was a military man of noble birth loyal to Fire Lord Sozin and his son Prince Azulon. As a reward for their loyalty and outstanding performance in the war, the members of the Five Tigers were each given a captured Earth Kingdom territory to rule. Sun Zhong was made governor over the tiny territory that centered upon Ojeong. It was a territory his own son, Lieutenant Sun Hao, had helped to capture.

While the people of Ojeong were treated well by Zhong and his men, they remained prisoners within the boundaries of their village. The villagers of Ojeong were not allowed to step outside the village limits and trade initiated from Ojeong was prohibited. Any activities that might allow the people of Ojeong to gain support for their cause were not allowed. The villagers of Ojeong soon became trapped within their own village and the five miles that separated them from neighboring Busan seemed like a lifetime. Five miles stood between them and freedom. Five miles were to become the changing force in life for a tiny village and the people that ruled it.

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Of Love and War

Chapter Two: Ojeong

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The Sun family was born into nobility. Headed by Sun Zhong the Suns were distantly related to the ruling family of the Fire Nation. It would take the deaths of sixty people before Sun Zhong were to named the next Fire Lord of the Fire Nation. It was hard to tell where along the vast line of royalty the branch in the family tree split off to form Zhong's line. Somewhere in the past Zhong's ancestors and the ancestors of Fire Lord Sozin were closely related. Now all Zhong and his family owned was an estate and a large plot of land they ruled.

While he was a lesser noble, Zhong still received the same treatment and respect the immediate members of the royal family received. Zhong's children, Hao and Qiao, were doted over by a staff of servants just the same as the prince of the Fire Nation. As nobility in the Fire Nation, they were sent to the finest academies, The Royal Fire Academy and The Royal Fire Academy for Girls. Hao and Qiao learned all that nobility should learn becoming proper citizens of the Fire Nation.

Upon graduation from the Royal Fire Academy Hao began his military training. With the war raging on between the Fire Nation and the remaining nations of the world, it became imperative that every able-bodied Firebender became a member of the Fire Nation army. As nobility, Hao became eligible for the officers training program and upon graduation, he was awarded the rank of lieutenant. With the rank of lieutenant, Hao soon had his own unit to command in the war. This unit was instrumental in the capture of the village of Ojeong.

With Ojeong under the control of the Fire Nation, Hao could focus again on the one thing that was more important than defeating the evils of the Earth Kingdom, protecting his sister. Hao was quite protective of his younger sister. From an early age, Hao vowed to keep Qiao safe from what he called "Earther Scum." While Qiao was capable of protecting herself with her archery, Hao still believed it was his job to protect her. Being in the war Hao's own prejudices against the Earth Kingdom was strengthened as he was taught to believe they were the source of evil in the world. These prejudices became the foundation for Hao's drive to keep his sister tightly guarded and locked within the walls of the governor's manor in Ojeong.

Although Hao had a strong belief that all Earth Kingdom people were evil and tried to keep Qiao behind the manor walls, he could not stop her from being able to venture out into the little village. Qiao was given permission to venture out into the streets of Ojeong as long as she had two armed escorts with her at all times. Qiao was none too fond of having escorts following her everywhere she went and often voiced her opinions to her brother. While she was grateful that he cared so much for her, Qiao did not like the way he showed how he cared.

"Look Hao I'm eighteen years old and proficient with a bow and arrow. I think I'm capable enough to protect myself from anyone who might want to attack me." Qiao would argue.

Hao would have nothing to do with Qiao's argument and would dismiss her archery skills as he responded to it, "Oh my dear sweet naive little Qiao. You do not know just how evil the Earther Scum truly is. They would rather attack you on sight than let you pass by. Why even the lowly shopkeeper would take up his broom and use it against you. You are safer within the walls of the manor where I know where you are at all times."

Qiao would then respond to Hao's statements with a hard stare while crossing her arms over her chest and making a threat that would always get her brother to quiet his mouth. Qiao knew that Hao could not stand to anger their father and would use him as the ultimate bargaining chip in their arguments.

"Well then, I'll just have to tell father you're not treating me like a lady of my noble position in life should be treated. Not only will he punish you as his son but he'll also punish you as his lieutenant because you're using the soldiers as nursemaids." Qiao would state with a hard steadfast look upon her face.

The results of Qiao's argument would always be the same. Hao would become very nervous and begin to backpedal taking back any prior statements he made during their argument. The young lieutenant did not want to cross his father let alone the governor and general in the Five Tigers. Having them all the same person was doubly worse for him.

"Okay, okay I won't force you to stay within the walls of the manor and I'll reduce the number of escorts. Just please don't tell father about all of this. He'd have my head if he knew I was sending out that many men just to keep a watch over you." Hao would nervously respond.

It was always a small victory for Qiao when Hao would take back every thing he said to her and make changes in the way he watched over her. With a victorious little smirk upon her head, Qiao would leave the scene of their argument walking tall as she let out a small mischievous chuckle. Qiao knew exactly how to manipulate her brother into giving her what she wanted. It may not have worked all the time but Qiao had more success than failure.

While Hao was overprotective of Qiao their mother, Yu, doted over Qiao trying to prepare her for a life as a nobleman's wife. Yu wanted her daughter to have the same type of luxuries she had while growing up in the Fire Nation. As a child of nobility and privilege, Qiao was eligible for things most women in the Fire Nation could not receive. One of those extravagances was marriage to a very wealthy man of noble birth, most likely a son of another tiger. It was Yu's dream that Qiao marry the son of either the First or Second Tiger uniting the two families together. While that was Yu's wish Qiao saw things a little differently.

The only thing Qiao and her mother could agree upon when it came to the man she would marry was the fact he had to be nobility. Qiao was used to certain things her family could afford to give her and she wanted to be able to continue to afford them. However, Qiao wanted love to guide her to the right man as long as he was of noble birth. From an early age, Qiao had the image of her future husband set within her mind.

"I don't want my husband chosen for me yet I want him to be a member of noble society. I want my heart to guide me to a man who is kind, caring, and trustworthy while being able to afford the luxuries I have grown accustomed to. My heart will tell me when I have found the right man. I'll know the moment we meet." Qiao would tell her mother.

"I admire your convictions my daughter but I believe it would be best if you were given a select group of young men to choose a husband from. That way it would ensure you would end up with a husband who would continue to give you the lifestyle you are accustomed to." Yu would respond.

"That's practically the same as choosing a man for me." Qiao would argue, "I'd rather let my own heart choose the man I wish to marry."

Yu would then sigh and tell herself silently that Qiao was acting in an uneducated manner and would soon see that her way was the proper way of doing things. Yu only wanted the best for her daughter and she believed that there was a proper way to go about getting anything one wanted in life be it a piece of handcrafted furniture for a manor or a husband. Yu was a woman who believed in doing things the right way the proper way the way passed down for generations in her family. It was how she went about choosing Zhong for a husband from many suitors of noble birth and it was how she wanted Qiao to choose her future husband.

While Yu was receptive to Qiao being old enough to choose her future husband, Zhong was not ready for his daughter to get any older. Zhong would always comment how he wished Qiao could be fourteen forever. Even as she grew older to her present age of eighteen, Zhong would comment on how Qiao was an innocent eager child who giggled at the boys her age as they tried to act older than they really were and cared more for learning archery than finding a husband. However, his wish that Qiao would remain the innocent child she used to be would go unfulfilled and Zhong would reluctantly admit that his daughter was turning into a fine young woman full of confidence and grace.

"I hate watching her grow older but she is becoming a beautiful young woman confident of who she is and what she wants. I'm just not ready for her to go out into the world and become somebody's wife yet." Zhong would comment with a sigh.

Zhong's comments normally fell upon the ears of Yu who would assure her husband they did all the proper things in raising their daughter. The fact that Qiao had a good head upon her shoulders and stood by her beliefs without resisting their teachings proved that were indeed good parents.

"You may not be ready for her to leave home to become a wife but you have shown her how to be a strong confident and supportive woman full of all the love in the world. I have no doubt she will take what you and I have taught her as she grew up and make a wonderful life for herself. You are a fine father to her Zhong." Yu would tell him.

Zhong would then look at Yu with a loving smile upon his face as she looked back at her husband with the same loving smile upon hers. Yu was a loving supportive wife who tried to be an equal partner in both their marriage and the raising of their children. It was a relationship where one partner did not try to dominate over the other. Each knew there were some aspects of their marriage that were strictly to be dealt with by one partner only. Zhong and Yu had what some would consider a perfectly balanced and harmonious marriage.

------------------

The call to conscription had the entire village of Busan abuzz with talk about the war. With the war now at their doorstep, the villagers of Busan could talk of nothing else. Throughout the classes, the excitement and apprehension of the coming war began to divide the village. The sons of the shopkeepers and artisans eagerly talked about how many Fire Nation troops they would take down with their spears and swords. The sons of the wealthy of Busan would boast about how they did not need any training and that their position in life would assure they were assigned to an officer's position. The students at the Earthbending academy were eager to go out into the battlefield and use what they had learned against enemy Firebenders.

The tenement people, however, did not support the call to conscription sent out by King Bumi in Omashu. The poor of Busan openly refused to support sending their sons to their deaths in a meaningless war. As soldiers began to arrive from Omashu, the people in the tenement protested their stay in Busan by holding open demonstrations. In groups of twenty or more the tenement people would gather in the main square and throw bad vegetables at the soldiers as they walked by while shouting anti-war slogans and talk.

"Go back to Omashu!" One protester would yell.

"Down with Bumi!" Another would add.

The protesting was even worse when the soldiers came into the tenement to talk to the families with eligible sons and young husbands. The soldiers wanted to convince the poorest villagers that joining the military was the right thing to do and would bring them more money than they could make in the village itself. However, the soldiers were greeted by sneers, doors being slammed into their faces, and worst of all being spat upon by some of the tenement residents. There was nothing the soldiers could do except bring their grievances before Shin Han who would then tell them to work out their problems themselves.

"You're the military. Surely, you can control that low class scum yourselves. You don't expect me to send out my enforcement guard every time one of your men gets a door slammed in his face or spat upon. The people of Busan have the right to express their opinions however they see fit as long as they don't cause damage to other villagers or the village buildings." Shin would tell the soldiers.

"You won't do anything because you refuse to get personally involved in the war." One soldier argued.

"It's not my place to deal with the war personally. The war is your job soldier. My job is to run this village." Shin then explained.

The soldiers would then leave the Han Manor with a less than stellar opinion about Shin Han and his style of government. The soldiers wanted everyone on board with the war and that meant having support from both Shin Han and the tenement people. When the door-to-door talking failed, the soldiers began going through Busan posting bills in support of the war and the military upon the announcement boards. The pro war pro military slogans were the soldiers' way of drumming up support for their cause.

The pro military slogans began to have an affect upon those in support of the war. More and more young men began to actively volunteer for the military. The young men joining the military and the promise of good pay began to weigh on the mind of Li Xun. The young Earthbender began to think about joining the military. The odd jobs he had been taking to pay for his lessons at the academy were not bringing in the coins they once did. With money being spent to support the war and the military staying in Busan, money for pay was not as good as it once was. Xun now wrestled with the decision of either joining the military or continuing to take odd jobs within the village.

Xun stood in the courtyard of the academy looking at the announcement board. Pasted upon it were the conscription call and one of the military's pro war bills. _Earth Kingdom, steadfast in the face of Fire support Omashu's finest_, the bill said. As he stared at the bill and the conscription call Xun began to wonder what it would be like to become a member of the Earth Kingdom military. Would the people in the tenement who looked forward to seeing him as he delivered food to them reject him or accept him? If he did become a member of the military, what would Min say? The questions and doubts began racing through Xun's head.

Xun's mind raced as he weighed the pros and cons of becoming a soldier. On one hand, being a soldier in the Earth Kingdom army offered good pay and that was something Xun needed. Taking lessons at the Academy was not by any means a free proposition. Xun did all he could to earn the money needed for his lessons. On the other hand, becoming a soldier in the Earth Kingdom army meant spending days even months away from his family, friends, and especially Min, whom he loved greatly.

"Xun my friend you look as though something is troubling you." Xun heard from behind as the weight of a familiar hand rested itself upon his shoulder.

Xun turned his head to the left and saw his best friend Taru standing beside him. Feigning a small smile Xun let out a small heavy sigh as he saw the concern written upon the face of his best friend. To Xun Taru was like the brother he never had and always wanted. The two Earthbenders could tell each other anything and often confided in each other their deepest secrets. Xun knew Taru would be able to help him through the difficult decision he was about to make.

Xun let out a second heavy sigh and began to relay his worries to Taru, "Taru before me lies a board filled with great opportunity. Normally this board is full of notices of people looking for someone to fill odd jobs here and there. Normally I would be very willing to take any one of those jobs for the small amount of coins they may bring me. You know as well as I do that my family cannot afford the lessons Master Xu provides us here at the academy. I do all I can to earn enough to pay for the lessons and what those jobs can't provide I supplement by helping around the academy. However, now the board offers something different."

"In what way?" Taru prodded.

"The board has that notice of volunteer conscription upon it. The army is still looking for benders and that my friend is where the good pay is to be found." Xun continued.

Taru removed his hand from Xun's shoulder and placed it upon his chin as he began to weigh what Xun had told him. It was plain to see where Xun's troubles lay. While Xun needed the money, he did not want to leave Min. However, preventing the Fire Nation from taking Busan as they did Ojeong was just as important.

"Xun you don't have to go off to war. Busan is going to need just as many benders to protect the walls of the village from invasion. You can still fight against the Fire Nation and not leave Min behind. A local militia just might be where you're needed most." Taru told his friend.

"Taru I'm staying. I may not make as much as I would if I joined the army but Busan needs benders to protect its walls against the Fire Nation just as much as Ojeong does." Xun announced.

While Xun and the rest of the villagers grappled with the idea of going off to war, Shin Han grappled with the diplomatic action of resuming trade with Ojeong. Shin had stopped all trade with Ojeong shortly after the Fire Nation army invaded the village. At the time, it was an unwise move to continue to trade with Ojeong. Shin felt the best tactic against the Fire Nation was to cut off the supply route to Ojeong from Busan. While the maneuver was good for cutting Ojeong off from things such as cabbages and pottery Ojeong was able to find a way to function despite the decrease in trading.

"If I open the trade route between Busan and Ojeong again it could mean the deaths of some of the villagers doing trade with a village under Fire Nation control." Shin observed as he paced back and forth.

As he weighed the pros and cons of resuming trade with Ojeong, Shin began to wonder if it would be right to send along a member of the military to escort the merchants and farmers to the neighboring village. Shin was finding himself beginning to get annoyed with the soldiers constant requests he give them the authority change and enact laws within the tenements. The constant complaints of the tenement residents' behavior was making the soldiers look like very good escort material. However, the more he thought about going that route Shin began to realize that sending the soldiers off to their deaths on escort missions would only result in trouble with Omashu and King Bumi.

However, Shin had another option when it came to choosing the escorts for the trade missions to Ojeong. Right under his nose Shin had the perfect expendable resource for his escorts, the Earthbenders. Shin hated the Earthbenders more than he hated the military. For the longest time, Shin tried to find a way to rid Busan of the benders living within its walls. He despised the fact that his own daughter had fallen in love with one of the lowly Earthbenders and wanted Li Xun out of the picture. Now with the decision to open trading with Ojeong weighing over his head Shin had the perfect opportunity to rid himself of a few Earthbenders.

"I'll make certain that lower than low class Li Xun is sent out to Ojeong and never returns. His death will be certain and Min will have no choice but to marry whom I tell her to marry. The Han line will not be fowled with the blood of an Earthbender." Shin exclaimed with a sneer upon his face.

His decision now made, Shin was ready to announce the lifting of trade restrictions with Ojeong. On the surface, the renewed trade would mean increased income for the village and its merchants. However, beneath the surface the renewed trade was a way for Shin to rid the village of the one thing he hated the most, the Earthbenders. Shin was willing to send the benders at the academy off to their deaths in order to ensure that his daughter would associate with the right type of people in his eyes. The thought of also losing a merchant or two during a trade mission played right into his hands. If any merchants died or were captured, Shin could lay the blame on the Earthbenders. Shin was willing to do whatever it took to get the Earthbenders out of Busan as long as he did not have to soil his own hands.

The day Shin was to announce the lifting of the trade restrictions with Ojeong the entire village was abuzz with excitement. It had been some time since Shin Han personally made an announcement of a policy change that affected the entire village. The villagers were uncertain as to what the announcement Shin had to make could be. Speculation ran rampant as the villagers stood in the main square of the village. Farmers, merchants, and common villagers milled about the square talking with one another about the announcement they were about to hear.

"So what do you think Min's father is going to personally announce in front of the village?" Xun wondered as looked about the village square.

"I'm not really certain. It could be any number of things regarding the recent activity in the village." Taru surmised.

"It has been a few years since Lord Han has personally announced any policy changes before the village. Usually, Lord Han has his advisor read the policy change in the square or he sends out announcements to the announcement boards throughout the village." Fa Xu, the Earthbending teacher, commented.

A few moments later, a man dressed in a long dark green robe over a white tunic and matching green pants stood before the gathered crowd. Upon his head, the man wore a small green and golden yellow hat and he had a pencil thin mustache and goatee on his face. The man cleared his throat before he addressed the crowd.

"Citizens of Busan I give you his lordship Shin Han." The skinny advisor announced.

The advisor stepped to one side of the stone platform allowing Shin Han to take his place upon it. Shin had a hard look upon his face as he scanned the crowd and let a small sneer cross his lips as his eyes fell upon Li Xun, Taru, and Master Fa Xu. The gathered crowd fell eerily silent the moment they saw the look upon the face of the village leader. Everyone present in the square was clueless to the real reason why Shin made the policy change he was about to announce. Not even Shin's own advisor knew he was willing to sacrifice potentially innocent lives just to make certain his daughter married a wealthy man.

Shin placed his hands behind his back, scanned the crowd once more with the same hard stare, and began to address his people, "People of Busan, for months now we have cut ourselves off from our neighboring village Ojeong. Days after the news of Ojeong's capture by Fire Nation troops, I ordered a halt on all trade with Ojeong. These trade restrictions were put in place to try to cut the supply route between Ojeong and Busan. It was a tactic that I had hoped would lead to the departure of the Fire Nation troops from Ojeong.

"However, this was not to be the case. The Fire Nation has since then sent a governor to rule over Ojeong. The military unit that captured Ojeong still resides within its boundaries. Despite being under Fire Nation control Ojeong still thrives. I find it unnecessary and illogical to continue with the trade restrictions I placed upon Ojeong shortly after its capture. Therefore, effective immediately I am lifting trade restrictions with Ojeong.

"This does not mean you may come and go to Ojeong freely. Those who wish to do trade with Ojeong will do so only with an escort of no less than two Earthbenders from the academy. No trade with Ojeong will take place without Earthbender escorts. In addition, each trade mission must have my full approval before it can take place. Anyone caught trying to do trade with Ojeong without an Earthbender escort will receive proper punishment for their act. This punishment could result in loss of business or farm. I will not hesitate to enact this punishment. That is all."

Shin stood still upon the platform watching the reactions of the gathered crowd. The looks upon the faces of the villagers were ones of both worry and joy. The joy was notable on the faces of the merchants and farmers at the prospect of doing trade with Ojeong once more. The worry was notable on the faces of both the tenement people and the common villagers. Shin knew they worried for the safety of those doing trade and those escorting them. They were expendable to him as long as it got Min away from Li Xun.

In the crowd, the people gathered to hear Shin Han speak began to mill about and discuss the policy change. It was common after an announcement of a policy change for the villagers to discuss the new laws for the village. The joy the merchants and farmers felt was overshadowed by the worry many of the other villagers felt.

"He can't be serious doesn't he realize that people could be hurt or killed trading with a Fire Nation controlled area?" One male villager questioned.

"Obviously he doesn't if he's lifting the trade restrictions." A second male villager commented.

"At least he has the good sense to have the Earthbenders escort those who will be doing trade with Ojeong." The wife of a local cabbage merchant added.

A small group of people whose children attended the Earthbending academy stood around Xun, Taru, and Fa Xu. They were interested in what the master Earthbender had to say about the policy change.

"What do you make of this Fa Xu?" Xun's father questioned the older man.

"This decision to resume trade is very puzzling. I would not be surprised if Lord Han had another reason for making this change." Fa Xu presumed as he placed his hand upon his chin and glanced over at Xun.

------------------

Word of Busan's decision to renew trade with Ojeong reached the boarders of the small village when a messenger sent by Shin Han arrived upon the back of an ostrich-horse. When the communication from Busan was brought to the governor's manor Sun Zhong found it quite peculiar that Busan would send anything to Ojeong. Zhong was confidant in his assumptions that Shin Han, Busan village head, had finally come to his senses and recognized that Ojeong was indeed now Fire Nation territory.

"So the mighty Busan is finally ready to see that Ojeong truly belongs to the Fire Nation and wishes to do trade with us." Zhong commented.

"It is obvious Lord Zhong that Busan cannot exist without doing trade with Ojeong." Zhong's trusted advisor added.

Zhong turned and looked out the large window in his private chambers letting a small sneer fall upon his face. The light streaming into the room lit up Zhong's face accentuating its features giving it a sinister appearance. Zhong then balled his right hand into a fist while his face became hard before making one final comment.

"Let them come. Let them come and see just how powerful Ojeong has become now that she belongs to Fire Lord Sozin." Zhong hissed.

While Zhong relished in the opportunity to show off the might of the Fire Nation to Busan his son was not as receptive to the renewed trade. Hao's strong distrust and dislike of anyone from the Earth Kingdom had the young lieutenant making a different vow. As he watched Qiao practice her archery in the courtyard of the manor, Hao commented on the trade with the neighboring Earth Kingdom village.

"Father is making a mistake accepting the offer to do trade with those Earther scum from Busan." Hao commented.

"Father can do whatever he chooses. He is the governor after all." Qiao retorted as she set her bow.

Hao let out a huff and crossed his arms across his chest as he watched Qiao let her arrow fly to its target. In his mind, the Earth Kingdom was not to be associated with and that included trade.

"Father is blinded by politics. He does not see that trade with the Earther sum will only serve to undo all of our hard work bringing Ojeong into our control." Hao spat out.

Qiao let out a sigh and turned to face her older brother. She knew how he felt about the Earth Kingdom and did not try to change those thoughts. However, she did not like it when he second-guessed and questioned their father's decisions.

"Hao if father thinks it will be good for Ojeong then he can choose to do trade with Busan if he wants." Qiao said.

"If father wants them to come then let them come. I, however, will do everything I can to make certain those Earther scum do not taint Ojeong with their fowl ideals and talk even if it means I kill each one that comes here." Hao spat out.

Qiao shook her head returned her attention to her bow and arrow. As she pulled an arrow out of her quiver, Qiao made a soft comment barely loud enough for Hao to hear.

"Maybe something wonderful will come out of doing trade with Busan." Qiao softly commented.


End file.
